Governor for regulating speed of water wheels



N. J. PEPIN Oct. 13, 19 42.

GOVERNOR FOR REGULATING SPEED OF WATER WHEELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1941 Patented Oct. 13, 1942 GOVERNOR FOR REGULATING SPEED OF WATER WHEELS Nelson J. Pepin, Lowell, Mass.

Application January 15, 1941, Serial No. 374,595

3 Claims.

This invention relates to water wheels and more particularly to an automatically operable means for regulating the speed of the water wheel.

An object of this invention is to provide a regulating means for use with a water wheel, such as a turbine or other conventional water operated power member wherein the flow of the water to the wheel or power member is automatically regulated in accordance with the speed of the power member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a regulating means orgovernor for awater wheel or power member, which is operated by vacuum or suction developed from the flow of the water after it has passed the power member, the suction being communicated to a suction operated power device, which is connected. to a valve or other water regulating means for regulating the volume of water passing throughor engaging the wheel.

A further object of this invention is to provide a speed regulating means of this kind which may be connected to any suitable water driven power wheel or turbine which is simple in construction so that it may be operatively connected with the water wheel or power member without affecting the present parts of the power member.

A further object of this invention is to provide a governor for regulating the speed of water wheels in which governor will be actuated by vacuum or suction created in the water wheel draft tube or by vacuum or suction created by a pump or by any other means.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein are shown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure I is a detail side elevation partly in vertical section of a regulating means constructed according to an embodiment of this invention connected with a conventional power wheel.

Figure 2 is a detail front elevation partly broken away and in section of the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I9 designates generally a flue or duct through which water is adapted to pass, the flue I being provided with an elbow II and a discharge duct I2 connected to the elbow II and disposed in a vertical position. The discharge member I2 is of flared construction and is provided at its upper end with a flange I3 which engages a flange I4 carried by the elbow I I. The two flanges I3 and I4 are connected together by fastening devices I5. A power member generally designated as It is disposed within the flue I9 and this power member I6 may be either a water turbine or other suitable water driven power member. A drive shaft I1 is rotated by operation of the power member I6 and in the present instance extends axially of the flue I9 and projects outwardly through the elbow I I, being journalledin a bearing I8 which is formed with the elbow II.

The shaft I! may be extended to the desired point and connected with power driven devices.

In order to provide a means whereby the power member I6 may be automatically regulated as to speed, I have provided a governor generally designated as I9. The governor I9 includes a shaft 29 which is journalled in a bearing 2!, which may be fixed to the elbow II in any suitable manner. Theshaft 20 has mounted thereon a driven pulley 22 and the drive shaft I! has mounted thereon a driving pulley 23. An endless belt 24 is trained about the two pulleys 22 and 23 so that the driven shaft 29 will be rotated from the drive shaft IT. A valve housing 25 is mounted on a bracket or supporting arm 26, which is secured to the elbow II, the arm 23 being provided with a substantially right angular base plate 21, which is secured by fastening devices 28 to the elbow II below the drive shaft. The valve member 25 comprises a cylindrical valve housing 29, a bottom wall or plate 39, which is fixed to the cylindrical housing 29 by any suitable fastening means and the bottom wall 39 is secured as by a fastening device 3| to the upper side of the supporting arm 26. A top wall 32 is secured to the cylindrical housing 29 by fastening devices 33 and a valve operating shaft 34 is slidable and rotatable through the top wall or head 32. The shaft 34 has secured thereto a spool-like valve plug generally designated as 35, which is slidable and rotatable inthe valve housing member 29. The valve plug 35 comprises a pair of cylindrical upper and lower port closing members 36 and 31, respectively, and an intermediate cylindrical member 38, which is of a reduced diameter from the upper and lower valve port closing members 36 and 31' thereby providing a chamber 39 between the inner ends of the port closing members 36 and 31.

A bevel gear 43 is fixed to the horizontal shaft 20 adjacent the pulley 22 and a second bevel gear M is mounted on the shaft 34, the shaft 34 being keyed as by a key 42 to the gear 4| so that the shaft 34 may have a vertical sliding movement relative to the bevel gear H but is held against rotation relative thereto. A boss or hub 43 is carried by the gear 4| on the upper side thereof and is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed slots 44 in which a pair of link members 45 are pivotally mounted.

A second pair of link members 45 are pivotally connected as at 41 to the upper ends of the links 45 and a weight 48 is also carried by each pivot 41. An annulus or sleeve 49 is fixed as by a pin 59 on the upper portion of the shaft 34 and the sleeve or bushing 49 is provided with pairs of diametrically opposed ears 5I between a which the upper ends of the links 46 are pivotally mounted as at 52. A collar 53 may also be secured as by a pin or fastening member 54 to the upper end of the shaft 34. A spring 55 is mounted about the shaft 34, the lower end of the spring 55 bearing against the boss or hub 44 and the upper end of the spring 55 bearing against the sleeve or bushing 49. In this manner, the links 45 and 46 will be constantly urged to a substantially aligning position for holding the valve plug or member 35 in its uppermost port opening position. The gear 4| is held against upward movement on the shaft 34 by means of a collar or ring 55 which engages about the hub 43, the hub 43 being substantially smaller in diameter than the largest diameter of the gear M. The annulus or'ring 56 is held in a fixed position by means of a substantially U-shaped supporting member 51 which has an upper leg thereof integral with the ring 56 and which has the lower leg 58 thereof mounted on the head 53 and secured by a fastening device 59.

The valve housing member 29 is provided with a suction port 60 in which a suction pipe BI is mounted. The suction port 69 is substantially midway between the head 32 and the base 30 and the pipe 6| extends horizontally from the valve housing member 29 and is provided with an extension 62 which extends through a boss 63 provided in the elbow I I. The extension 62 terminates in a downwardly extending suction nozzle 54 positioned within the elbow II so that the downwardly moving water passing the suction nozzle '54 will generate a partial vacuum in the extension 62 and in the suction pipe 6 I. The valve housing member 29 is also provided with an upper suction port 65 and a lower suction port 55. A pipe 5! is connected to the upper suction port 65 and a lower pipe 58 is connected to the lower suction port 65.

A suction motor generally designated as 69 is supported from the power member I6 by means of a supporting member I9 and the suction 'motor '59 comprises an elongated cylinder II having heads I2 and I3 at each end thereof. The suction pipe 5! is connected to the head I2 and the suction pipe 68 is connected to the head 13. A piston I4 is slidable in the cylinder I3 and a piston rod I5 is connected with the piston I4 and is extended outwardly through a gland I5, which is carried by the head I2. A toothed elongated gear rack II is fixed by a fastening member I8 to the piston rod I5 and is disposed in axial alignment with the rod I5.

The shaft 89 has secured thereto a bell crank 82 which is connected by means of a link 83 to a balanced gate valve structure 84. The gate valve structure 84 is conventional and is here shown as one example of a gate valve structure which may be operated by the suction means hereinbefore described.

In the use and operation of this device with the water wheel I6 in normal operation, the valve plug 35 will be disposed in substantially the position shown in Figure 3. In this position the valve closing members 33 and 31 are in port closing position to close the ports and 56, respectively. At this time, the suction from the pipe 6| caused by the water passing the suction nozzle 64 will be prevented from effecting movement of the piston I4 in either direction. Assuming, however, that the flow of water is such as to cause the water wheel or power member I6 to speed up unduly, the excessive rotation of the shaft I! will cause the governor I9 to lower the valve plug 35 and establish communication from the suction chamber 39 to the port 66. This suction will be communicated through the pipe 58 to the left end of the cylinder II through the head I3. This will pull the piston I4 to the left and rock the gear I9 in a counterclockwise direction. Rotation of the gear I9 in a counter-clockwise direction will effect counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 89 so asrto close the gate structure 84 and cut off the flow of water to the power member I6. When the power member I6 reduces in speed, the reduction of speed of the governor I9 will permit the spring 55 to raise the valve plug I5 to an intermediate suction port closing position and if the speed of the governor I9 is relatively slow, the spring 55 will raise the valve plug 35 so as to communicate the port 65 with the suction chamber 39 and establish communication between the suction port '29 and the port 65. This will place the suction pipe 65 in communication with the suction pipe BI and effect movement of the piston I4 to the right. Movement of the piston I4 to the right will cause the gear I9 to rotate in a clockwise direction which will rotate the shaft in the same direction and open the gate structure 84.

A regulating means constructed according to this invention will maintain an even speed of the water wheel or power member which is connected with the water flu I0 so that irrespective of the pressure or flow of water through the flue III, the power member I6 will be maintained at a substantially constant speed.

What I claim is:

1. A speed regulating means for a water actuated power member interposed in a water duct, said means including a gate interposed in said duct on the intake side of said power member, a suction operated gate operating member connected with said power member, and a suction pipe extending from said operating member and extending into said duct on the outlet side of said power member.

2. A speed regulating means for a water actuated power member connected with a water duct, said means including a gate interposed in said duct on the intake side of said member, a suction operated gate operating member, means connecting said operating member with said gate, a centrifugal governor connected with and operated from said power member, a suction valve connected with said governor, said duct and said operating member, the speed of said governor effecting movement of said suction valve to thereby control the operation of said gate operating member, and a suction pipe connected with said valve and said duct on the output side of said power member.

3. A speed regulating means for a water actuated power member connected with a water duct, said means including a gate interposed in said duct on the intake side of said member, a suction cylinder, a piston slidable in said cylinder, means connecting said piston with said gate for operation of said valve upon movement of said piston, a centrifugal governor operated from said power member, a suction valve connected to said governor and movable thereby, said suction valve having a pair of spaced apart ports and an intermediate port, a pipe connected with said intermediate port and extending into said duct on the outlet side of said power member, a valve plug connected to said governor and operable in one position thereof to communicate one of said pair of ports with said intermediate port, and in another position thereof to communicate the other of said pair of ports with said intermediate port, said valve plug in a further position thereof cutting off communication between both of said pair of ports and said intermediate port, pipes connecting the opposite ends of said cylinders with said pair of ports, and a suction nozzle carried by said first pipe and disposed within said duct.

NELSON J. PEPIN. 

